There are a number of situations and locations in which a person is put at risk because they are involved in an activity that, even if just for a moment, requires that they look forward and not check over their shoulder. These include men urinating in a public washroom and people unlocking house or apartment doors. Should the person be attacked or feel threatened, they can use a security device to scare the attacker or alert a passerby, or both.
For example, U.S. Publication No. 20070200716, discloses a personal safety alarm device that is of specific applicability to children. The personal safety alarm is integrated into a watch to be worn by a child. This can be used if the child is feeling threatened or is scared. It does not provide a view of what is happening behind them.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,031,078 discloses a key chain holder with clock and audible alarm. The invention includes a housing that contains the alarm, which is actuated by a spring-loaded trigger. The spring-loaded trigger requires at least 5 pounds of pressure in order to set off the alarm. The invention also includes a hand strap and flash light. The clock displays the time and date. Similarly, this can be used if the user feels threatened or scared. It does not provide a view of what is happening behind them.
A device that allows the user to see what is happening behind them is disclosed in U.S. Publication No. 20140133042, which is directed to a convex mirrored surface encased in a housing, which is further attached to a slap band strap. The slap band strap is highly reflective. The mirrored can also display other information, lights or alarms (specifically time-associated alarms), etc. All surfaces are capable of displaying emergency information, logos, messages, or advertising. While this invention allows a user to be cognizant of activities around them, it does not provide an alarm to scare off potential attackers or to alert others.
What is needed is a device that can allow the user to see what is happening around them, and more specifically, what is happening beside and behind them. The device should further include an alarm system that can easily be activated. The device would preferably be battery operated. Accordingly, the device would preferably draw very little power. It would be still preferable if the device was an integrated convex mirror and alarm. The alarm would preferably be activated by pressure. More preferably, the force of a human hand or part of a hand should be sufficient to activate the alarm. The alarm would preferably be an audible alarm. It would be more preferable if the device could send a signal to a central processor that could identify the location of the activated alarm and the time of activation. It would be still more preferable if the processor was instructed by a memory to record the time and location of the activation.